A/N: Thank you to my sister for egging me on and encouraging me so that I've finally put up a fanfic. I'm horrible at writing romance, so all blame goes to her for my sad attempts at it since she insisted she couldn't read anything without romance.
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
9 years after Orochimaru's attack on Konoha…
Chapter 1: Changes
The Hyuuga Residence
Hyuuga Neji had proved to be one of the most promising ninjas of Konoha over the years. Now at the age of 22, the Main family had been forced to acknowledge his existence and the threat he posed them. Last evening as he was ending his meal, a written missive was delivered to him by one of the servants. It congratulated him on his continued excellent performance and requested him to visit the building that housed the Main family tomorrow at 9 am. It wasn't signed, but Neji knew who had sent it: Hiashi-sama, the head of the Hyuuga family.
His early promotions, successful missions and impressive mastery of the Hyuuga talents had led Neji to occupy one of the better rooms in the Branch family home. Instead of sharing a room with one or two other Hyuuga males his age, he had a large square room with dark, polished floorboards. Three of the walls were similarly panelled while the remaining wall had a set of traditional Japanese sliding doors. The sole source of light entered through a window opposite the sliding doors. It was a weak, winter sunlight that seemed to highlight the sombreness and uninviting atmosphere created by more than the dark-coloured wood rather than lessen it. The room was sparsely furnished; it contained only a neatly-made futon which stretched out from the wall to the left of the sliding doors and a large, well-made mahogany desk underneath the window. The only empty wall was actually hollow and had a cavity which served as a wardrobe. The room looked unlived in as there were no personal items on display.
Neji pressed one of the dark panels on the empty wall and a section of the wall fell back a few inches. He slid the section to the right exposing tidy piles of clothing including traditional Japanese kimonos, most of which were an unflattering grey, trousers, shirts, his ninja apparel and meters and meters of bandages. Neji pulled out one of the grey kimonos which denoted that he was one of the Branch family, a lesser Hyuuga. This new ruling had two purposes, the obvious one was to distinguish between the Main and Branch families and the other was a hidden reminder that the Main family had complete power over the Branch one. Neji dressed almost mechanically and then he slid the wall section back in place and it realigned itself with the rest of the wall silently. Neji tied his waist-length hair with a band; he then took a length of bandage and wrapped it around his forehead effectively covering his curse seal. He picked up his forehead protector that lay folded on his desk and fastened it securely around his forehead too.
Hyuuga Hiashi gazed out of the tall windows while waiting for the arrival of his nephew. He was in one of the conference rooms where discussion of all matters pertaining to the Hyuugas and the village of Konoha were held. Three other main family members were also in the room, one woman and two men. Although, Hyuuga Hiashi was the head of the Hyuuga Clan, he was advised by knowledgeable members of the Main family.
Hiashi was feeling uncertain and torn; it was a rare feeling for him. He felt a certain degree of happiness as he thought of how proud his brother would've been of his son. But as a Hyuuga, Neji was a Branch family member and a very dissatisfied one at that. Hiashi knew that despite the incident after the Chuunin exam, Neji could not accept the dominance of the Main family and with his growing talents, which would fast outstrip the rest of the Hyuuga save a few, the Main family feared a revolt. However, it was out of the question to kill a prodigy as valuable as Neji, so the most obvious solution was to manipulate his feelings about the Main family by giving him what he desired: the same freedom the Main family had. In reality, that was obviously impossible because it would result in the destabilisation of the Hyuuga family structure, the very thing that they were trying to avoid.
So, Hiashi concluded, we have to convince him to see it our way and persuade him with an elevation of status and other things he feels he's been denied. If, however, all their effort came to naught, then they would need to take action, regardless of the fact that they might end up losing the most talented Hyuuga in generations.
If only you weren't so stubborn, Neji, Hiashi thought wistfully.
A voice announcing the arrival of Hyuuga Neji broke Hiashi out of his musings. He'd been so absorbed in thought; he hadn't even noticed Neji cross the grounds to reach the Main House. He turned around and sat himself at the low, U-shaped table with his legs folded underneath him.
Neji entered the room on his knees, moved towards the centre of the room and bowed low saying "Good morning, Elders."
"Sit up, Neji." Hiashi said. As Neji sat up to face his uncle and head of the Hyuuga family with an expressionless face, Hiashi was startled to see how like his father Neji looked. He said as much to Neji, his voice a mixture of pride and sadness.
"Thank you" replied Neji formally.
"Neji, the elders and I are proud of you. You have upheld the name of the Hyuuga well. You have surpassed our highest expectations" Hiashi said seriously.
"I am honoured by your praise." Neji said unemotionally. It was all formality, all of it. They didn't mean what they said, and neither did he.
"We have decided to grant you the great honour of serving as one of the Main family's personal guards."
Neji clenched his jaw before replying, "I will protect the Main family to the best of my ability."
"You will move to your new quarters today in the Main house. They are much larger and better furnished. Report to Shiro at 6 pm." One of the elders instructed.
"Yes." Neji said as he bowed, "Thank you for this great honour, Hiashi-sama."
He left the room moving backwards so that he was still facing them as he closed the sliding door. Neji stood up and started walking back to the entrance of the Main House, his face almost eerily calm. His mind was in chaos, though. He hated the Main Family with a passion that surpassed any other feelings he had. Did they think he was flattered by their offer? Did they think servitude thrilled him? To be constantly reminded of his 'lower' status in that house. It frustrated him how blind they were to who he was. They actually considered he would forget their injustices because they offered him what they felt was a position of honour, but what he saw as undeniable proof that he was bound to serve and obey them. He hated their hypocrisy.
These thoughts consumed Neji while he climbed the stairs to his room. Members of the Branch family he met on the way avoided him knowing he was in a stormy mood. Neji grabbed a passing maid roughly by her arm and told her to bring a suitcase to his room.
When the maid arrived and timidly knocked on his door, he slid it open almost immediately. He had changed out of his kimono into clothes more suited for training.
"Pack all of my belongings immediately. Do it neatly. Give this to Aki-san." Neji ordered curtly while handing the maid a letter. The maid just nodded back meekly and took the letter. Her attitude reminded Neji forcefully of Hinata and it irked him unreasonably. In an unusual outburst of emotion, he stormed out angrily and slammed the door behind him.
Hyuuga Hinata had just finished teaching at the Academy and was wandering through the marketplace before she headed back to her family's home. She glanced at items for sale at the stalls without any real interest. Hinata was considering giving up her post as a teacher because although she had had it for almost two years, the leadership and authority unnerved her despite being in charge of children only. She couldn't help but feel intimidated by them; they were so loud, rude and obnoxious. She felt ashamed of herself; it had been nine years since Naruto had inspired her to believe in herself, but she hadn't managed to change one bit. To be nervous of ten year-olds! She didn't know what to do. Should she continue teaching or ask Hokage-sama for a change of post?
Hinata mulled over her options as she entered the grounds of the Hyuuga residence through the main gate which was opened by the sentries on duty. Her pale forehead was creased by a worried frown and in keeping with an old habit of hers, her hand was held to her lips. She walked with her head bent, deep in thought, not noticing the delicate beauty of the garden in the winter. On either side of the stone pathway she walked on, plants seemed to thrive despite the cold winter weather. Small plants with white, frosted leaves were interspersed with the apple-green shoots of herbs that were flourishing despite the climate. Slender ash trees towered above the short plants, their bare branches swaying in the wind like tapering fingers waving good-bye. Far to the right, a curved, granite bridge rose above a rippling brook that fed a large, clear pond. The pond glinted silver as mottled koi darted across its surface. A weeping willow stood at the edge of the pond with its leaves dipping in the water like a maiden washing her hair. It was a tranquil setting, but Hinata's eyes were trained on the looming house where she lived. The main house was shaped like half of a hexagon and it housed the Main family members and their personal guards. The Branch family members lived in a separate compound lying to the left of the main house.
Hinata entered through the large, oaken front doors and made her way up to her room on the 1st floor so immersed in her thoughts that she didn't greet anyone on the way. She went directly to her bed and lay down staring at the ceiling. Hinata came to the conclusion that perhaps giving up her job would require more courage than she had initially thought. She would have to ask for her father's permission and supply him with a plausible reason. Tomorrow she would speak to the Fifth Hokage to ask her if she could take up a different post, and then, if it was more prestigious than her current one, her father would agree. Hinata just hoped it suited her disposition. At present though, she was exhausted and needed to sleep.
Haruno Sakura was a fully qualified medical ninja, but at the moment, she was wishing she was anything but that. You would think that after reaching the highest possible rank of a medical ninja, you'd get the chance to boss others around and put your feet up once in a while. Apparently, however, her post was not like Tsunade-shishou's, who it seemed did nothing but boss everyone. In fact, Sakura had been putting in more hours after her promotion. She was researching, digging up old files, performing jutsus, fixing her subordinates' mistakes and goodness knew what else. She wouldn't have minded all the workload if she was going home to a warm, cheery household. Instead, her flat was either empty or occupied by a dispirited Sasuke.
Sakura sighed deeply, unconsciously slowing down her brisk pace as she walked home. She felt so disheartened. More than five years had passed since Naruto had brought Sasuke back; keeping his promise to her and it had been just as long since Sasuke had started living with her. But during the years he had shared her flat, Sakura felt a distance between them that had never existed before, not even when they were children and he used to ignore her so completely. Sasuke just wasn't there. All the things that identified him as Sasuke: his drive, his talent, his emotional detachment, his rare smiles, they were all gone. Sakura had no idea what Naruto had said to Sasuke to convince him to return to Konoha, all she knew was it was because of Naruto that Sasuke was still here.
Sakura took her keys out of her handbag and inserted one in the bronze lock. She opened the door and walked into a relatively tidy living room. The lights were on, so she assumed Sasuke was at home, probably in his room. She took off her shoes at the entrance and carelessly stuffed them in the shoe rack that was already overflowing with footwear. Her socked feet padded softly on the polished wood as she made her way to the kitchen to prepare a meal for Sasuke and herself. After checking the contents of the fridge and the cupboards, she settled on making Chinese stir-fry. It was a simple, easy recipe she'd learnt from Tenten. In fifteen minutes, Sakura had the table laid and dinner ready to be served.
As she sat at the table to eat, Sasuke appeared in the living room and quietly seated himself opposite her. They began their meal in silence.
The sun was dipping low on the horizon when Neji trudged back to the Hyuuga residence. His vigorous training had left him dirty, hot and sticky with sweat. Dirt marred his pale face and damp locks of hair clung to his face.
Once he was inside the Branch family's compound, he took a detour to his room to collect some clean clothes from his packed suitcase before he headed towards the showers. After he had showered and changed, Neji climbed the flight of stairs that led to his room again. His wet hair was pinned up to prevent it soaking the back of his shirt. Neji checked the wardrobe and the drawers of the desk for any forgotten items, but it seemed the maid hadn't missed anything. So there was nothing left to do except leave. Picking up his suitcase in his right hand, Neji slid the door open and left without a backward glance.
Once he was in the main house, he realised he had no idea who Shiro was or what he looked like, so he asked a passing servant who volunteered to guide him. He was led to the back of the house where he met Shiro who greeted him with a smile. Shiro was slightly shorter than Neji and more stockily built. His hair was an inky black and cropped short like Hinata's when she was younger. He looked around Neji's age, but Neji was sure he was at least a decade older.
"Nice to have some new blood." Shiro said grinning. When Neji didn't respond, he continued, "This part of the house is actually an extension to accommodate us, the personal guards. However, some guards share adjoining rooms with their charges, so they don't live here. It depends, really."
Shiro walked towards a bookshelf and pulled out a dark blue register. He flipped the book open and started turning the pages until he was near the end of the book.
"You know," he said with his brows furrowed in thought, "not many Branch family members are chosen as personal guards anymore. The size of the Main family has dramatically decreased over the generations. Half the rooms in this house are empty."
He was silent for a moment or two as he examined a page before uttering a triumphant 'hah!' and looking up to face Neji with curiosity in his eyes.
"You've been assigned quite a high-ranking member for someone new. You must be good." Shiro said thoughtfully. Once again Neji didn't respond.
Shiro gave him a quick smile before saying, "You will be guarding Haruka-sama and will share rooms with him. His rooms are…on the second floor, right-hand corridor, second door on the left."
Well you've been really lively company, but unfortunately, I have other duties I must attend to. See you around, Neji-kun. And good luck." Shiro said cheerfully, his grin not disappearing this time.
Neji was fatigued, but he was able to muster some energy to shoot an irritated look at Shiro's departing back. He lifted his suitcase and went in search of his new quarters.
Hinata was going down to the gardens for a quick walk to refresh herself from her nap before going to dinner when to her surprise, she spotted Neji on the first floor landing.
"What on earth is he doing here?" she thought.
"Good evening, Neji-ni-san." Hinata said aloud. Neji had started climbing the stairs when he turned around to look at her.
"Good evening, Hinata-sama." He said; his face expressionless as usual.
In the following silence, Hinata took the chance to study him because although they were from the same family, they rarely saw each other. Their roles were too different. He had grown more handsome, but he was also cold, distant and just as bitter as before. It seemed she was not the only one who had trouble applying Naruto's advice.
Neji looked at her impassively as he said, "Excuse me, but I have to go."
Hinata smiled slightly, "It was nice to see you, Neji-ni-san."
He inclined his head slightly and ascended the stairs while she walked downstairs with one hand resting lightly on the banister.
Neji approached the entrance of his charge's rooms and knocked on the door. When a reedy voice asked who it was, he replied succinctly that he was his newly assigned personal guard.
"Come in." rasped the voice. "The door's unlocked."
Neji slowly turned the doorknob and pushed the door inward to reveal the room inside and its inhabitant. He took off his sandals at the entrance and stepped barefoot onto the tatami mats covering the floor. He left his suitcase in the entranceway for the moment. There was an alcove in the wall opposite him where a kakejiku (scroll) hung with the character for 'Knowledge' written in ink. Below the kakejiku, an empty flower vase stood on a wooden cabinet. In the centre of the room, an old man was sitting cross-legged and peering at Neji with narrowed, bleary eyes. His hands that were resting on his knees looked like mottled, bird talons. The skin on the rest of his body was just as blotched with dark pigmentation spots and hung loose as a result of muscle atrophy. His hair was as white as his eyes and hung in wispy strands down to his rounded shoulders. His face was heavily lined with wrinkles and the corners of his mouth were turned down. The tips of yellow, twisted teeth poked through his lips. He was wearing a stained kimono and exuded an odour of putrid flesh.
Neji wrinkled his nose at the smell and looked at the decrepit old man he was supposed to guard with disdain. This fossil didn't need a guard; he looked like he needed a nursemaid.
But before Neji could attempt an escape, the old man called Haruka asked in his raspy voice, "What's your name?"
"Hyuuga Neji." Neji said failing to disguise his revulsion completely.
Haruka smiled a gap-toothed grin and let out a horrible gurgling laugh as he sneered, "You're not too good at hiding your emotions, are you? Neji, eh? I've heard of you. Well, now you're under my control and you have to obey me. Firstly, you have to address me as Haruka-sama, understood?"
Neji was embarrassed that the old man had read his feelings so clearly, but then he felt angry and humiliated to have to watch over this deranged, drooling old creature. Hiashi must've been laughing behind his back the whole time. When he could be doing something better, he'd be playing nursemaid to this old fool. He refused to do it. He didn't care about the consequences, he would never submit to doing this degrading task. Neji shot Haruka a look of disgust and then turned to leave immediately.
"A moment, boy." Haruka said wheezing. Neji glanced over his shoulder to see the old man perform a seal and then his head was searing in agonising pain. He blacked out for a single moment and when he opened his eyes, he was lying on the tatami mats. He stood up stoically and walked towards the entrance when he was hit by a wave of serrated pain. He could hear the old man cackling behind him as he sunk to the ground. He looked behind him, his eyes full of loathing and hatred before slumping unconscious on the floor.
Shikamaru, the epitome of laziness, was anything but calm and laidback at the moment. He had worked himself into a nervous frenzy, unable to decide what to do about the letter lying on his desk. He had spent the whole day writing and rewriting it, it was completely uncharacteristic of him to put so much effort into anything except strategy games. This was all Temari's fault, he knew it. A desert hawk was perched uncomfortably on the lamp on his desk along with some items of his clothing that he hadn't bothered to fold and put away. In fact, besides his desktop, everything else in his flat was cluttered. None of the rooms looked like they had been dusted in weeks. In the living room, all the sofa cushions lay scattered on the floor around a glass-topped table on which there was a shouji board with the pieces in various positions as though invisible phantoms were conducting a game. The kitchen sink was filled with piles of dishes and the dustbin was overflowing with plastic plates and cutlery Chouji had given to Shikamaru after seeing the state of the sink. A heap of clothing lay in one corner of his bedroom while other articles of clothing were draped on chairs, doors and curtain rails.
Shikamaru finally resolved to send the letter, so he rolled it into a tiny cylinder, tied it with some string and attached it to the hawk's left leg. He opened the window to let the desert hawk carry his message away.
"If she says 'yes', Shikamaru thought as he watched the hawk fly away, "then I suppose I must inform Hokage-sama. This is going to cause a lot of trouble."
Closing the window, he glanced around his apartment with a sigh; he would clean it tomorrow. Tonight, it was just too troublesome.
Neji's eyes flickered open as he regained consciousness. His body felt so heavy he couldn't move at all; he may as well as have been numb. He knew this state well enough having inflicted it on the unsuspecting several times. All his chakra had been drained. Normally, this occurred when one used it up by performing ninjutsu and genjutsu. However, by utilising the Jyuuken, it was possible to release chakra from the tenketsu haphazardly so it couldn't be controlled and thus, was wasted. It was a variation of Hakkeshou Rokujuu Yonshou where instead of blocking the tenketsu and therefore preventing chakra release, the chakra was forced out. Had the old man done this to him?
That was Neji's last thought before he drifted into oblivion on the floor at the entranceway.
The next morning as sunlight filtered into Hinata's room, it was clear that it was empty. Daybreak had seen her heading towards the Hokage's office, her blue-black hair in a neat plait and her face resolute with determination. She met Tsunade just as she was entering her office.
"You're up early." Tsunade said surprised.
"Hokage-sama, I need to speak to you." Hinata said; her face decidedly fierce for her usually mild self.
"Of course, Hinata. Come in." Tsunade said, still somewhat surprised. She had gotten to know all the Leaf Shinobi over the years, particularly those who were in Naruto's year. She wondered about Naruto, he'd been gone for far too long, in her opinion. Although, as Hokage she wasn't supposed to have favourites, Tsunade couldn't help feeling a special affection for the boy who'd landed her in this position in the first place.
"Sit down, Hinata." Tsunade said gesturing to a chair, "What's the matter?"
"Hokage-sama, please. It's…just…um…I was really hoping if I could get another job?" Hinata requested nervously.
"Oh, what's wrong with your current mission?" Tsunade couldn't even remember assigning one to her.
"I'm sorry I wasn't clear." Hinata continued somehow burying her anxiety, "I'm teaching at the academy, but…but I'm not—it's not what I want to do."
Tsunade frowned trying to recall everything she knew about Hinata. Finally she said, "Hinata, I think I can arrange for you to leave the academy, but is there any job you had in mind? I don't think you want to do missions because that might mean leaving Konoha, something your family would disapprove of as you're the heir, after all."
"Um…I hadn't thought about it. It's just…I don't want to be telling people what to do."
Tsunade gave her a small smile, leaned back on her chair and looked pensively at the ceiling chewing the end of a pencil. Hinata sat quietly, her arms folded in her lap, only her posture giving away her anxious eagerness.
"Well, Sakura has been complaining about how much work she has." Tsunade added smiling, "And how I have none. So, Hinata, if you're willing to work as a medical ninja, there's a vacancy. You'll get bossed around by Sakura, but I'm sure you can handle that."
Hinata was extremely pleased. She had expected some boring desk job where she'd be filing and her ninja skills would be of no use, but the Hokage had offered her a prestigious job where she didn't have to take charge. It was also a chance to be actively helping people.
"Thank you so much, Hokage-sama." Hinata's eyes filled with grateful tears, "I just need to ask my father's permission, otherwise I accept. Thank you."
Tsunade gave a nervous laugh, "It's no big deal. No need to cry over it."
Hinata smiled and thanked the Hokage again before excusing herself.
"This village can't survive without me." Tsunade said smugly to herself.
Hinata left to find her father immediately, but was waylaid by tenor voice calling out, "Hinata!"
Hinata turned to find Kiba waving at her as he ran to catch up to her.
"Kiba! How are you?" Hinata asked smiling brightly.
"You're really happy today." He said grinning widely and enveloping her in a hug. "So what's the reason for the good mood?"
"I haven't seen you for ages! Where have you been?" Hinata felt this day was turning out to be the best in quite a while. Kiba's enthusiasm was infectious.
Kiba still had one arm around Hinata's shoulders as he said laughing, "We need to catch up, have you had breakfast yet?"
When Hinata replied in the negative, they headed towards a nearby restaurant to discuss what had gone on during Kiba's time away. It turned out that Kiba wanted to join the ANBU and had been away on some training with Shino since he'd joined the ANBU a year before.
"Where's Akamaru?" Hinata asked just noticing Kiba's ever-present companion's absence.
"We just got back today, so he's got no energy. And now, he's too big for me to carry around on my head." Kiba answered, his grin unwavering. "So now it's your turn. What's with that big smile, Hinata?"
"I spoke to the Hokage this morning about getting a different job. I didn't like teaching at the academy."
"No kidding, all those brats. I don't know why you ever accepted it." Kiba snorted.
"Hokage-sama offered me a job as a medical ninja. I'm so pleased, Kiba." Hinata told him.
"Good for you, Hinata!" Kiba said enthusiastically, "See, a little bit of guts goes a long way."
"I just need to ask for Father's permission and I should be able to start soon, I hope." Hinata said as she finished her meal, "I was on my way there when I met you."
As she looked up, she saw Kiba looking at her curiously.
"I've never seen you with your hair like that." He said still looking at her intently, "It looks nice."
"Thanks." Hinata said shyly.
"No problem." Kiba grinned, "Let's go then. So did I tell you Shino got a haircut?"
"No." said Hinata looking confused she got up.
"The barber totally messed it up and it's so short. He's furious. He should cut off that huge collar of his and hide his hair with it instead of his face!" Kiba said laughing.
They left the restaurant with full stomachs and light hearts and Hinata knew her father would say 'Yes' with a proud smile the way this day was going.
"Wake up, boy."
Neji felt something digging into the soft flesh of his cheek and suddenly, his brain registered the extreme pain his body was in. Sharp needles of agony were tearing through his nerves causing him to twitch involuntarily. He couldn't help groaning when his movement was rewarded by a slap to the side of his face.
"Pathetic. This is the prodigy of the Hyuuga clan. We've fallen far." The scratchy voice of Haruka sneered, "Get up, idiot."
Anger surged fresh and hot through Neji as he rolled over onto his stomach and tried to push himself up on his arms as they cried out in anguish. He had been lying in the entrance room the whole night and he ached from having lain in the awkward position. He clenched his jaw and heaved himself up into a sitting position, leaning heavily on his arms in order to stay upright. He saw the old man sitting a few steps away from him grinning his gap-toothed, humourless smile.
When Neji shot Haruka a poisonous look, Haruka said, "We're not that different." He gestured to their prone positions with malicious glee. Neji had never wanted to kill someone so much in his life. He pushed himself back against the wall using his arms and then with the wall as a support, he lifted up his protesting body agonisingly slowly. After what seemed like an age, he was standing against the wall his body trembling and coated in sweat. His hair was tousled and partially obscured his eyesight, but it did nothing to lessen the hate-filled glare he sent Haruka's way.
"You should be careful or you'll faint again." Haruka snorted, "What a useless guard, always lying around."
Neji didn't hear him; he was expending too much energy trying to salvage his pride by staying on his feet.
"Don't worry," Haruka said, "I've sent for someone to sort this out. I think I went too far, but I thought you were stronger."
Neji ignored the jab at his abilities; something about the way the old man had said he had called someone didn't sit well with Neji, the relic was a sadist. When there was a knock on the door and Haruka granted permission for the person on the other side to enter, Neji clenched his jaw hard enough to cause his teeth to crack.
"H-Haruka-san?" A very familiar, stuttering voice asked, "You requested my presence?"
However, before Haruka could reply, Hinata's eyes were drawn to the figure in her line of sight. Her eyes widened as she realised that it was Neji, who was radiating emotions so strongly that for a moment she was reminded forcibly of a cornered animal, before she realised that Neji could never be compared to one.
"Ah, Hinata-sama. I'm afraid I have to ask you for some assistance. This boy here seems a bit tired, don't you think? It would please me greatly if you could take him to his room." Haruka said, pointing behind him towards the right. "I would do it myself, but as you can see, I'm incapable of doing so."
"Of course, Haruka-san." Hinata said moving towards Neji tentatively.
"Neji-ni-san." She said offering him her hand uncertainly.
Neji could not remember feeling this humiliated ever as he put his arm around Hinata's shoulders and she supported him by placing her arm around his waist. He just knew that the sooner he agreed to this, the sooner Hinata would leave. They moved slowly towards the door on the right with Neji limping. Hinata could feel the tenseness and rigidity of his muscles under his clothing and the smell of his sweat; it made her feel distinctly uncomfortable. She awkwardly slid open the door and they entered into a rather bare room. She sat Neji against one of the walls and went to the wardrobe to take out a futon, which she laid out neatly in the middle of the room.
"Do you need anything else, Neji-ni-san?" Hinata asked quietly. Neji was determinedly looking away from her, the side of his face that she could see rigid. Hinata left his room sliding the door shut behind her. Neji heard her exchange a few words with the old man and then heard the main door shut as she left.
He pulled off his sweat-soaked shirt in one savage motion and flung it hard at the opposite wall. He crawled towards the futon and collapsed on it exhausted. Neji welcomed sleep; it would help him momentarily forget everything that had happened.
Today was turning out to be an eventful day for Hinata and it wasn't even lunchtime yet. Meeting Kiba and being offered a post as a medical ninja had been exciting, fun and almost exhilarating.
Her meeting with her father had left her feeling disappointed; he'd given his assent almost offhandedly. He hadn't asked her why she was changing jobs or seem surprised that she was. He hadn't smiled at her or given her a disapproving look. He had barely spared her a glance. And then as she had left his conference room, deep in thought, a servant told her that a Haruka-sama was asking for her. She had no idea who he was, but once the servant told her that his living quarters were on the second floor, she knew he was someone important. In the Hyuuga Main house, servants and most guards lived on the ground floor, many of the Main family members lived on the first floor, while the most important like her father, the head of the clan, and other elders lived on the second.
In Haruka-san's rooms, she had one of the oddest experiences in her life. She didn't understand why Haruka-san had addressed her as Hinata-sama when she was more than two generations younger than him. And…Neji. She had never seen him so…broken. He probably wouldn't appreciate her saying that, but she'd never seen him look so vulnerable before. It had disturbed her.
As the building where the Hokage resided came into view, Hinata's thoughts moved towards what it would be like as a medical ninja. All that was left to do was tell Hokage-sama that she accepted the position.
"Really Tsunade-shishou, you cannot expect me to come running every time you impulsively decide you need me!" Sakura exclaimed as she burst into the Hokage's office.
"Is this how one behaves after they delude themselves that they have surpassed their teacher?" Tsunade said in a warning tone.
Sakura collapsed into one of the chairs, sinking her head into her arms on the desk. Looking at Tsunade across the cluttered desk, she said tiredly, "I'm sorry, Shishou. I'm just worn-out, I guess. I didn't mean it."
"Well, I've already solved your problem for you." Tsunade said matter-of-factly.
"Huh? What?" Sakura said unintelligibly.
"Sakura, I've assigned a new medical nin to your ward. Her name is Hyuuga Hinata, do you know her? "
Sakura sat up straight and looked at Tsunade with mild disbelief. "When did this happen?"
"This morning."
"Shishou, I already have enough incompetent apprentices as it is. It doesn't make sense, it's completely unexpected."
"Firstly, Sakura, you shouldn't ever refer to your apprentices as incompetent. You were much worse, if I recall correctly." Tsunade snorted, "As their superior, you should be encouraging them and helping them improve. Secondly, you've been complaining about your workload and Hinata's the solution."
"What medical ninjutsu experience does Hinata have?" Sakura asked.
"None that I'm aware of."
"Shishou." Sakura whined, "You make everything so difficult for me."
"It's because you are my one and only apprentice." Tsunade smiled and then continued more seriously, "Now, besides work, what is worrying you so much?"
"Sasuke." Sakura said gloomily.
"Now, the most basic of medical ninjutsu is Chiyute no Jutsu." Sakura explained.
As she was returning from lunch, Sakura had spotted Hinata standing near the hospital receptionist looking agitated. Hinata visibly relaxed when she saw Sakura walking towards her, her hand raised in greeting. After they exchanged minor pleasantries, Sakura told Hinata if she was willing, they could start her training right away. Hinata eagerly agreed so with Sakura leading the way, they headed towards the out-patient department.
"First, gather chakra in the palm of your hands—this should be easy for you—then release it slowly onto the wound. The chakra helps the cells increase their growth and division rate, so it's really just speeding up the healing process." Sakura continued, demonstrating on a patient, "The key is slow chakra release; if you apply chakra too fast, the cells will regenerate and die once again plus there is a chance of cancer, a slight chance, but one nonetheless."
"Next patient." Sakura called, dismissing her current one. "Also never use too much chakra or your patient will end up with outgrowths of skin or whatever cells you were 'healing'. Outgrowths are usually benign, but are unattractive."
As the next patient sat before them, Sakura saw Hinata looking a bit worried, so she said, "Don't worry, you'll get the hang of it. Here, have a go at Akado-san."
Hinata's eyes widened in surprise, "Already?"
"Well, there's no reason to delay. I'm sure you'll do fine." Sakura smiled encouragingly. Hinata's patient was not so enthused at being treated by a first timer, but willingly showed her forearm, which had a long, shallow cut that was bleeding. Hinata held her hand above Akado's arm and slowly released the chakra she had gathered in her palm and the cut gradually became smaller until it disappeared.
"Excellent." Sakura said, looking pleasantly surprised. "You can help me with the rest of the patients."
And so Hinata spent the rest of her day mending gashes, lacerations and cuts caused by all manner of objects which was interspersed with advice from Sakura on how to effectively treat burns and the difference in methods between treating a jagged injury and a clean cut. Hinata was mildly surprised at how so many people—Shinobi and non-combatants alike—managed to get injured. When the red-tinged horizon was the only evidence left of the sun, Hinata pulled on her fur-lined coat and gathered the scrolls Sakura had lent her into her bag. As she exited the hospital building, black tendrils of her hair undulated on the chill wind that caressed her cheeks and heralded the advent of winter. Despite the strenuous work and the considerable depletion of her chakra, Hinata was in high spirits as she trudged towards her home through the well-travelled streets of Konoha.
A couple of hours after Hinata left, Sakura began furling the scrolls and shelving the books that lay in a disorganised mess on her desk. She selected a few foreign scrolls to take home with her where she could spend the weekend deciphering them to determine if they were useful in improving current techniques or developing new ones. She waved goodbye to the caretaker as she left Konoha Hospital, her footsteps echoing in the oddly empty reception hall. Sakura inhaled sharply as the cold breeze brushed past her bare legs like a feline companion. I really should start wearing trousers now, she thought absently. Shivering slightly, she pulled her coat around herself more tightly and turned up the collar.
Half an hour later, Sakura was in her usual place during evenings, in the kitchen stirring a boiling pot on the stove. She went to the fridge to take out two plastic containers containing wasabi and tsuyu she'd made previously. She also took out a dish of fresh prawns. Closing the fridge door with her foot, she deposited the items on the countertop and reached into one of the cabinets to remove a packet of nori seaweed. After five minutes, two steaming bowls of soba noodles topped with prawns and nori sat on the counter with shallow dishes full of condiments at the side. Just as Sakura, rather unorthodoxly, dusted her bowl with some dried chilli flakes, the sound of the door opening alerted her to Sasuke's arrival.
Sakura entered the living room carrying the two bowls filled with their dinner just to see Sasuke disappear down the corridor on his way to his room. Usually Sakura ignored his moody silences, but really, he couldn't even spare her a greeting? It was plain rude.
"A 'Good evening, Sakura, how was your day?' wouldn't go amiss, Sasuke." She called as she heard him turn open the door to his room. "I've made you soba noodles with prawns. You better eat it while it's hot."
A short time later, Sasuke appeared in the living room, his hair damp from having showered.
"So how was your day, Sasuke?" Sakura asked as he seated himself opposite her at the table. She was determined to put a stop to the silent meals and the unnaturally reticent attitudes both of them had adopted, at least in each other's company. Sasuke gave her a noncommittal shrug, not looking at her, and picked up his chopsticks.
Undeterred, Sakura asked him as he began eating, "How's the food?"
Sasuke raised his black eyes, partially veiled by his dark bangs, looked at her blankly and lowered them back to his food. For some reason, his gaze seemed insolent and scornful to Sakura and she just couldn't stand it anymore. She couldn't stand this miserable existence where she excused him for being cold and indifferent towards her and let him off for his general lack of courtesy and his terrible attitude.
Sakura lifted her chopsticks to her mouth and paused. Wet noodles hit Sasuke's face with a 'splat' and slid down his surprised face onto his clean shirt. He frowned at her with a mixture of annoyance and confusion before reaching for a napkin when ironically enough he heard her rather than saw her stand up halfway and throw half of the contents of her bowl at him. Fortunately for him, he managed to avoid getting his hair ruined, instead it was his shirt that dripped with soup. Sasuke stood straight, calmly removed his shirt, used the dry part to wipe his face and then tucked it under his arm in a bundle. He picked up his bowl, shot Sakura a look of irritation and silently walked back to his room.
Sakura groaned as her head fell forward onto her arms in a gesture of hopelessness. She had thrown food at him and he'd barely reacted!
Belatedly, she shouted angrily, "Naruto was right! You really are a bastard!"
She almost expected him to come out and hit her. For reasons unknown to her, Naruto was a taboo subject for him. But he didn't hit her. He didn't come out of his room. Tears leaked out of Sakura's eyes, she couldn't take this anymore. He was driving her over the edge. She wasn't a teenager anymore. She no longer dreamt of being the only one to penetrate his shroud of brooding and detachment and find a loving person underneath. Because there wasn't one. And because all she wanted now was selfish happiness with no complications.
It was near midnight when Sasuke heard the doorknob turn. He wasn't worried about intruders; it was probably just Sakura come to apologise for earlier. He was partially correct.
Sakura opened the unlocked door and entered Sasuke's lighted room. He was laying on his bed, still shirtless, his hands behind his head. He turned his gaze from the ceiling towards her. His stained shirt lay in the corner of his slightly messy room and the empty bowl sat on his bedside table with a pair of chopsticks resting on top.
Sasuke noticed that Sakura was less than composed; her hair was in disarray and her eyes…she'd been crying.
"Get out." Her voice was clear and firm.
When Sasuke frowned at her, she repeated, "Get out now."
"What?" He said sitting up.
"I said leave."
"What the hell is wrong with you today?" Sasuke asked annoyed, getting off the bed to stand in front of her.
"You're what's wrong with me."
"What are you saying?" Sasuke seemed almost guarded as though he feared her answer.
"I'm saying leave." Sakura's calm façade cracked slightly.
"Why?" Sasuke didn't know why his heart was thundering in his ears.
"Why are you talking to me all of a sudden?" Sakura asked with a bitter smile.
"I…look, Sakura. It's not like that."
"I have no idea what you're talking about and frankly, I no longer care. So please leave."
"No, first tell me what's wrong."
"Why do you care?" Sakura cried, all pretence at calm gone, "You don't. Leave me alone!"
For a moment, Sasuke was struck speechless because he had no idea why he did care. He just didn't want to leave, he reluctantly admitted to himself. He was comfortable living with Sakura, it was almost pleasant.
"I like living here." he said.
"I'm sure you do." Sakura said sarcastically, "Your own room, dinner every night and no one to bother you. And if someone takes pains to add company to that list…"
"Sakura, I do like your company." He couldn't believe he'd admitted that. He couldn't even believe he actually felt that way, but he was suddenly desperate for her to realise it.
"Yes, that's why I don't get two syllables from you ever."
"It's not personal, it's just how I am." It sounded pathetic even to his ears.
"It's not enough, Sasuke." Sakura said sadly.
Sasuke couldn't believe she was being like this. They'd lived like this for the past five years, hadn't they? What had suddenly changed?
He took a deep breath and said, "What can I do to make it enough?"
It was completely uncharacteristic of him and it showed in the look of shock on Sakura's face. It was her turn to ask 'What?' uncomprehendingly. Sasuke relaxed realising that Sakura was giving him a chance to prove why she shouldn't kick him out.
"What can I do to convince you to let me stay?" he asked seriously.
"I-I don't know."
It went against the grain of his nature, so wholly, but Sakura needed this reassurance. Sasuke reached out with his left hand and slid it into Sakura's right hand at her side. He grasped it firmly and held their clasped hands up between them.
"Sometimes you don't need two syllables." He said quietly.
Sakura gave him a watery smile and as Sasuke let go of her hand, she desperately wished to hug him for his openness, but she resisted. It meant a lot to her that he'd said what he had and she didn't want to push him any further.
"I hope you don't make me regret letting you stay." Sakura smiled. "Goodnight."
"Goodnight."
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